Congratulations? The elders are pleased. That’s the word on the street.
We all knew this day would arrive. It was bound to happen, I think we were all in denial. I am still in shock as I type these words…Hamdan is married. Nope, this isn’t a rumor, it’s the shocking truth!
This wedding wasn’t for love. Family love, sure. Romantic love? No. He simply fulfilled an obligation of his duty. He is getting older….she is reaching “old maid” age, so it had to happen sooner than later. She will be the “official” first wife. I knew his first wife wasn’t going to be anyone else but a cousin or an Emirati. Expect a child soon after. She has to meet her obligations. He will have women on the side. Signing a contract won’t change his ways. The one thing we do know about Hamdan is that he is a free spirit. A wild horse that cannot be tamed. If anyone changes him, it will be his children.
Other reasons why I think this was more of an obligation versus marriage for love is that his wedding was with 2 of his brothers….who also married cousins. Yes, culturally this isn’t odd for both multiple weddings and marrying cousins, but you’d think if this were for love he would want that day to be all about him and his bride. Rumors around Dubai have talked about Hamdan being engaged for years, and nothing ever happened. Everyone was waiting, but nothing ever happened. I am sure they both waited until they could no longer put it off. Also, it is Ramadan, so this was the perfect time for them to get married since families come together during this time.
Even in Mohammed’s poem, you can see hints of it being more of an obligation versus for love. “Mohammed called on his sons to follow on the footstep of their father and ancestors, especially the late Sheikh Rashid.” He also talked about doing his fatherly duty and how the first thing he taught them was to love Dubai, “the homeland.” He also said to be good husbands and treat their wives with respect.
Another thing that stood out to me was the body language of the photo they posted of the “happy” grooms. They all look freaked out or not pleased. We have all seen Hamdan happy and with a genuine smile. We have seen the photos of him doing business. While I don’t expect a significant smile on his face during this part of his wedding, I also wasn’t expecting business as usual forced smirk. (Side note: I cannot confirm if those photos are from their wedding day and looking through photos with his brothers; they are all filled with serious expressions.)
Dubai is still making moves and is continuously trying to be a major player in the world. Mohammed is getting older….and it would be frowned upon to hand over the responsibilities to a bachelor. For whatever reason people feel married or “family men” can do a better job of running a city or country. Again, all for image and to make others happy.
Sadly, we will never know the real story. That family has kept certain things under wraps and hide things very well *cough Rashid’s son cough.* We only see a small percentage of his life. We know the PR side, a carefully planned out and calculated image that others want him to portray. I think sometimes he shows little hints of who he really is, but anything outside of that is just for show. Like this wedding. I have read comments about his posts on IG and how he posted a photo of giraffes on his wedding day. This is what I was talking about, his posts are planned. To us, it was business as usual, but in reality, a marriage contract was being signed. Something else to note, usually, royal weddings are not a huge public spectacle. While we were all expecting a wedding like Mohammed’s, I doubt we will see anything like that with Hamdan.
I would like to comment that if this really was for love, I think he did it the right way. He kept his relationship and love life private. I know that if his wife were ever on social media, she would be bullied and eaten alive… solely for being the lucky one to win his love and affection. I hope he keeps things private and that she doesn’t become a public wife, just to avoid the harassment from the crazies. I do expect photos of his children because that’s all we really care about anyway….baby Hamdan (Major baby fever trigger warning).
I will say that if he really does love her than I am honestly happy for him, but from what I have seen and heard, that’s not the case. My opinion could also change as things develop, but as of now…you just read my thoughts on this.
Now with the rest of you…I will mourn the loss of our most eligible bachelor and wait for the baby to drop next year.
P.S. Don’t lose hope, you can still be wife #2 or a side chick. Kidding.
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